In the theocratic economy of Israel, to be devoted to destruction was to be divinely banned. Whatever was devoted to destruction could not be ransomed or preserved but was marked for abstention and utter destruction by God's people (Leviticus 27:28-29; Joshua 6:21; 7:1, 12). The ban of physical extermination is explicit in the OT, while the spiritual counterpart may be seen in the NT pronouncement of "accursed" (Gr. anathema) (Galatians 1:8-9; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Romans 9:3). In the time of Christ the Jews had severely misconstrued and abused the original OT idea of something devoted to God. For example, their traditional law of "Corban" (i.e., "given to God," Mark 7:11) actually invalidated the word of God by keeping a man from honoring his parents in obedience to the law (Exodus 20:12; Mark 7:6-13).

This topic is from the Lockman Foundation.